Many times in our lives events happen that overwhelm us.
We think we have everything under control and then the reality of life shows
up and rocks our world. The inherent dangers of racing are always present,
but somehow we set them aside and do our job. Then it happens. Greetings in
the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Seemed simple enough, head to the airport, board the plane to NYC
and enjoy the flight. It ended in tragedy. We begin to question, how, why,
for what purpose. We struggle to comprehend; this was routine, nothing was
supposed to happen, we canít believe it.

Our West Coast Coordinator, Gary Dionne, found himself in the
middle of something terrible. A shooter opened fire in Terminal 3 at the
security checkpoint in LAX. Suddenly he was on the floor as gunshots rang
out. He watched the gunman as he turned his attention and walked away with
his back to him. He made a run for it, stepping over bodies lying in blood
on the floor. He made it out with his life.

Life is never routine, but we tend to fall into a comfortable and
secure lifestyle. Life is also not meant to be lived on an island, it is not
meant to be lived alone. We need to be surrounded by others who share our
lives with us. When the challenges of life become all too real we will not
survive without the help from our friends.

The Racing Community does a great job in reaching out to their own.
Many times we see the racing family rally around someone or a family that is
going through a difficult time. That needs to be transferred into mainstream
society. We need to help others see what we have in racing.

Jesus helps us understand what it means to be a friend. In Johnís
gospel Jesus said;

John15:13, Greater love
has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

It means that what is going on in our
life is less important than what is going on in someone elseís life. It
implies that we should stop at nothing to reach out and show grace, mercy,
kindness, gentleness and faithfulness to others. True love is defined by
what we are willing to give up for someone else. Love is nothing more than
caring for someone else more than we care about ourselves.

I am reminded of these words from a song by FFH; ďWe all want the
same things out of life, we all wanna be loved, we all wanna belong, we all
wanna know itís gonna be alright. Thatís why Jesus came and gave His life
away, and rose again on that day, so we could say ďIím never, never gonna be
aloneĒ

We wonder what happens in a personís life that moves them to such
actions. What snaps inside that they conclude taking someone elseís life is
the right way to solve the problem? How do we respond to those who are
withdrawn and facing internal struggles that are difficult for other to see
and understand?

All this indicates that we need to look beyond ourselves. We need
to reach out to others and make an effort to walk alongside them. It takes
an effort to change the direction of someoneís life. We need to care enough
to make that effort.

How do we demonstrate we truly care for one another? Listen to the
words of Paul as he talks about the qualities that demonstrate we truly
care.

1Corinthians
13:4-8; Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not
boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps
no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love
never fails.

We can
endure the challenges that life throws at us with a little help from our
friends. In life we need each other to truly live. I would encourage you to
get out there and live. Show someone the love of Jesus. Put your wants and
needs aside and put someone elseís needs as your first priority. You will
experience life in a way that you have never imagined. You will experience
life to its fullest. Count on the promise of the Scripture, love never
fails!

THOUGHTS
FROM THE ROAD

THREE STAND ATOP THE DIRT WORLD -
Pittman, Richards and Hearn shared the podium Saturday night at the sold out
Dirt Track at Charlotte as they received the hardware for winning their
season long battle for the championships.

Daryn Pittman, coming back after a five year break gave Kasey Kahne
racing their first WOO Sprint Car title. I spent some time with Kale and
Kaseyís mom Saturday night, everything in the family starts with a ďKĒ, and
she let the world know that she was there for Kale and his moment in the
spotlight. Pittman won the title by the closest margin ever, 14 points over
reigning champion Donny Schatz. Pittman also became the first Champion to
lead the standings from the first race until the last.

Josh Richards returned to the Dirt Late-Model ranks after a brief
endeavor into NASCAR and the asphalt world. He proved he didnít forget how
to get it done as he brought home the WOO Dirt Late Model Championship
hardware.

Brett Hearn proved he still has what it takes to put a championship
season together taking home the SuperDIRT Racing Series Big Block Title.
Winning Friday night and coming home second on Saturday night were just
icing on the cake.

It was a great time spent in Charlotte for this event; we were able
to reach out to many of those in the Dirt Community. On Saturday we had a
Chapel service and over 20 people participated. Continue to pray for
resources and workers as we expand and develop our ministry to this
community.

MATT HIRSCHMAN CONTINUES TO DOMINATE - A few miles away from
Charlotte the North-South Shootout was contested at Caraway. I am thankful
for the Chaplains at MRO for lending a hand and covering the event. Due to
time and resource constraints we were unable to be in both places.

Matt Hirschman continues his run, winning many of the open Mod
shows and bringing the bragging rights home for the North. Matt used a great
crossover move to wrestle the lead back from George Brunnhoelzl III and went
on to secure his fifth N-S title.

TURKEY DERBY XXXX - Next up on the calendar at Wall
Stadium is Turkey Derby number 40! Wow, forty years of Thanksgiving Day
Weekend Racing at the Jersey Shore . Our own Bob Menschner will be there to
lead the way and we hope to have someone there to help him out.

ATQMRA BANQUET TIME - Bob also covered the ATQMRN Banquet in
Bethlehem , PA for us this past weekend. We appreciate all Bob Does and
every one of our Chaplains that spread the Good News of Godís grace.
Until next time, be a witness for our Lord with the ministry decals
and apparel. See them at the Show Your Faith Apparel Store at
http://www.rwjm.com/store. Send us your prayer and counseling needs no matter
what part of our racing family you are in, or give us a call. Remember that
God loves you, we love you and